User Interface

Selecting Sounds

Editing

Oscillators

Filters

Envelopes/LFOs

Modulations/Modifiers

Arpeggiator

Selecting Sounds

The Blofeld has a gorgeous user interface with a huge graphic display giving you precise visual feedback. Seven endless rotaries plus a volume knob all made of steel invite you to explore the depth and power of Blofeld.

Selecting sounds is a breeze. If you just want to browse through the available sounds, use the dial above the Play button. If you want to jump to a different soundbank, use the left dial under the display. Selecting a category with the right dial (under the display) causes Blofeld to show only sounds belonging to that particular category.

Quick EditingEditing sounds to suit your needs is just as easy. The most frequently used parameters are laid out on the front panel. Just select the appropriate row with the four buttons to the left of the parameter matrix and turn the knobs.

This parameter matrix allows instant control over oscillator waveforms, semitone offset, detuning and levels – filter cutoff, resonance, type and envelope amount – envelope rates and levels (two of the four envelopes), LFO speed and shape (two of the three LFOs) – the modulation matrix, the effect mix – arpeggiator mode and clock.

Deep EditingAs soon as you press one of the buttons of the parameter matrix, the display switches to the most appropriate page for that parameter set.

Oscillators

Selecting one of the oscillators brings up one of the oscillator pages. Each oscillator, the ring modulator and the noise generator can be mixed freely into the two separate multimode filters.

A special overview page displays this routing as well as the levels and shapes of the tone generators.

Filters

Of course the two filters have dedicated pages showing filter response curves. Here is an example of the response of the 24dB low pass type.

Even the comb filter types are displayed graphically.

Filter Routing

The two filters can be routed in series or parallel, the latter allowing you to pan both filters individually.

Envelopes

Next, there are the Envelopes, which can be the classic ADSR type, looped or without hold and release stages (one shot). All in all, there are five different types and this is how the ADSR type is displayed:

LFOs

The three LFOs offer separate parameters for delay and fade in/out. Here's an example:

Modulations and Modifiers

So what can you do with all these envelopes, LFOs and the other control sources? Apart from serving as direct modulation sources, you can easily connect them to other modulation destinations in the modulation matrix.

And if that's not enough, you can even create new modulation sources by modifying an existing one with algorithmic operations. Sounds too complicated? Maybe. But it is great fun even if you don't know what you are doing!

By the way, the Modifier in the picture creates a "steppy" modulation based on the original continuous waveform of LFO 1, whatever that LFO waveform might be.

Arpeggiator

Last but not least, the Blofeld has a freely programmable arpeggiator that displays the pattern you have created, which might very well look similar to this one: